Final answer:
Eukaryotic enzymes involved in DNA replication employ the telomerase enzyme to extend DNA strands at chromosome ends, preventing strand shortening. In transcription termination, Rho-independent termination involves the formation of hairpin structures in mRNA, leading to the release of the transcript.
Step-by-step explanation:
When enzymes transcribing minus strand DNA reach the end of the template, in eukaryotes, the telomerase enzyme extends one of the two DNA strands. The DNA strand synthesized continuously, known as the leading strand, stops when it reaches the 5' end of its template. On the lagging strand, a final Okazaki fragment's primer cannot be replaced with DNA nucleotides because there is no free 3' end to extend. Here is where telomerase plays a crucial role. It adds repetitive nucleotide sequences to the ends of chromosomes, preventing the shortening of DNA strands with each replication cycle.
In the context of transcription termination, Rho-independent termination involves specific sequences in the DNA template strand that form a stable hairpin structure, causing RNA polymerase to stall and subsequently release the newly synthesized mRNA transcript.